In the Chinese language, there are separate ideograms -- or word
characters -- for many forms of medicine and healing. However, until now,
there has never been a word for "chiropractic."
That changed thanks in part to the efforts of Lori
Ugolik, D.C., a Macon, Georgia chiropractor, and her colleagues, Dr. Cory
Rodnick, of Midland, and Dr. Steve Kern of Marine City, both members of
the Michigan Chiropractic Council.
Participating doctors, students, and hospital administrators join Dr.
Lori Ugolik, the Minister of Health, Mayor of Zigong and Foreign Affairs
officials of Zigong in the signing of a "Life Around the World,"
contract.
All three visited the People's Republic of China earlier this year as
part of Life University's "Life Around the World" program,
adjusting several thousand patient during their
During this mission, they worked in the People's Number One Hospital
and Foreign Language School in Zigong. More than a dozen members of the
press greeted them, as did the governor of Chengdu, the mayor of Zigong,
representatives of the Zigong Foreign Affairs office, and the entire
administration of the People's Number One Hospital and Foreign Language
Schools.
As part of this Chinese outreach, medical doctors and English majors
will study chiropractic at Life University, then return to China to
establish a chiropractic curriculum in Zigong University as well as in
several hospitals.
"The residents were very receptive to chiropractic care,"
Ugolik stated. "We adjusted everyone from surgeons to rice farmers.
My most memorable experience was adjusting a lady with a spinal cord
injury. I only adjusted her C1 and C2 ... and the translator explained how
a subluxation in this area affects the entire brain and spinal cord. The
Chinese could grasp the concept of chiropractic very quickly due to their
experiences with holistic health."
Ugolik also noted that, "prior to our 2001 invitation there were
no Chinese characters in their alphabet system, describing chiropractic
care, adjustment, or subluxation. This made it difficult for the
translator to describe what exactly it is that we do. Since our visit, the
translator has added characters for subluxation, adjustment, and
chiropractic care to their system. This was a tremendous step to aid in
the integration of our type of health care into their health system and
language system!"
She added: "The need for chiropractic in a nation of 1.2 billion
is essential. It is hard to believe in a country so overpopulated that
there are no doctors of chiropractic for the residents. We have 'planted
the seed,' and, within the next seven to ten years, we should be able to
develop programs at the larger universities such as the Beijing University
and in the larger cities, such as Shanghai to help millions. This was an
exciting day for our profession, for the United States and for China. We
hope our humanitarian work will ... help heal our relations with
China."
